Victoria Police have launched a new five day search in the hunt for fugitive and alleged cop killer Dezi Freeman.
Over 100 police and interstate specialists will conduct a ‘significant targeted search’ of the Mount Buffalo National Park this week.
The renewed effort comes weeks after police announced a targeted search on an adjoining area, which focused on locating evidence or Freeman’s body.
Police from the Search and Rescue Squad, PORT, Taskforce VIPER, Critical Incident Response Team, Dog Squad and Drone Unit will work alongside local police and Taskforce Summit investigators during the search.
A NSW Police cadaver dog will also be used.
It’s understood this week’s search is based on information police obtained in relation to a gunshot heard a short time after the fatal shooting of two police officers in August.
Freeman, 56, allegedly gunned down Detective Leading Senior Constable Neal Thompson and Senior Constable Vadim de Waart-Hottart while they were executing a search warrant at his property outside Porepunkah on August 26.
A third officer was seriously injured after being shot in the lower body and continues to recover.
Victoria Police have launched a ‘targeted’ five day search in the hunt for Dezi Freeman
Freeman, who fled into the nearby bushland, has not been seen since.
Detective Inspector Adam Tilley encouraged locals to share any information they may believe could be relevant to Freeman’s whereabouts.
‘The same three possibilities remain open to us – Freeman is either dead, being harboured, or has gotten out from the area and surviving alone,’ he said.
‘At this time there is no intelligence to move us away from these possibilities or to make any one the more likely scenario, so we have to keep an open mind.
‘Police will continue to conduct targeted, intelligence-based searches such as this one and we will also have a presence in the local community for the foreseeable future.’
A reward of up to $1 million remains for information leading to Freeman’s arrest.
Anyone with any information on Freeman’s location, or anything the community notices at the Mount Buffalo National Park should be reported to Crime Stoppers Victoria via 1800 333 000.
More to come.
